India, June 24 -- The Karnataka government's proposal to amend the Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961, has sparked significant concern across the state's large IT and IT-enabled services (IT/ITeS) sector. The proposed changes would extend daily working hours and increase overtime limits, raising questions about employee well-being and the future of work-life balance in the technology hub.

As of 24 June 2025, the Karnataka Labour Minister, Santosh Lad, has stated that he does not support the proposal in its current form. He clarified that the idea to extend daily working hours from nine to ten, while maintaining the weekly cap at 48 hours, originated from the central government. Lad indicated that a final decision wou...